TEHRAN, Oct 20 (NNN-IRNA) – The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Maritime Exercise (IMEX) 2024, kicked off yesterday in Iran’s southern waters.
Russia and Oman have sent their flotillas of warships to take part in the joint drill, along with the forces of the Iranian Navy and the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), as well as, the country’s coastguards.
The report said, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, Pakistan, Qatar and Bangladesh had also sent their representatives to take part in the exercise as observers.
Speaking at a press conference in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, yesterday, spokesman of the drill, Mostafa Tajeddini, said, the participating vessels and units would enact different scenarios, including containing fire, carrying out search and rescue operations and removing oil from the sea surface, during the drill.
He added, several specialised meetings and workshops would also be held during the exercise.
Tajeddini said, the drill’s message was “peace, friendship, solidarity and collective cooperation.”
The IMEX 2024 joint naval exercise aims to ensure sustainable collective security, and expand multilateral cooperation among the participating countries, to safeguard peace in the region.– NNN-IRNA
